Greece Opens Restored 11th-Century Byzantine Church to Public

by · Greek City Times

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni today handed over the restored central-plan church of Maximianoupolis, near Komotini in northeastern Greece, for public visits and potential religious services at the discretion of the Church.

The 11th-century Byzantine monument features a rare irregular hexagonal floor plan. The Ministry of Culture restored and upgraded the church through a project implemented by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope, with approximately €1.5 million in funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

“Today is a very important day for the Ministry of Culture, the local Church and the community, as a significant monument, the central-plan church of Maximianoupolis, becomes accessible to visitors and available for religious services, at the Church’s discretion,” Mendoni said.

She highlighted the project’s importance in preserving and showcasing the region’s historical identity, describing the church as the only tangible evidence of the ancient Byzantine city.

Read more: Greece Advances Major Heritage Projects Across Thrace

“This is an exceptionally important monument and essentially the only tangible evidence we have of the city of Maximianoupolis, which served as a significant Byzantine centre along the Via Egnatia,” she said.

Mendoni also expressed hope that schools would include the church in their educational programmes, giving students the opportunity to learn about the history of the region and Thrace more broadly, while maintaining the living Byzantine Orthodox tradition.

Culture Minister continues visits to Thrace

The handover forms part of Mendoni’s two-day working visit to the regional units of Rhodope and Evros, focusing on the restoration and promotion of important historical monuments.

Her programme on Thursday includes a visit at 11:30 to the Bayezid Mosque in Didymoteicho, where conservation, protection and restoration works are under way.

At 14:00, she will hand over three restored post-Byzantine churches in the Erythropotamos Valley: Agios Athanasios in Metaxades, Agios Athanasios in Alepochori and Agios Panteleimon in Paliouri.

The minister’s programme also includes inspections at Panagia Kosmosoteira in Feres and the Imaret in Komotini.

(Source: AMNA)

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Click NOW
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on WhatsApp, Google News and Apple News.

Related coverage

Advertising